COLUMN: Panthers win makes rest of season even bigger

CHARLOTTE – A common cliché for the Carolina Panthers during this current winning streak has been that the “next game is the biggest game of the year” because it’s the “next game on the schedule.”

When the Panthers held on to beat New England 24-20 on Monday night in front of a record Bank of America Stadium crowd, it certainly fulfilled the hype and promise of a city and a region.

How then is it possible for the Panthers to play a bigger game?

Well, at 7-3 and close behind 8-2 New Orleans in the NFC South, every game truly is big for Carolina, especially since the Panthers will have two shots at the Saints in the coming weeks.

That starts with Sunday’s 1 p.m. game at Miami.

Given all the ugliness that has been in the Dolphins’ locker room this season, it’d be safe to say Miami and embattled coach Joe Philbin will be distracted by more than just preparing for Carolina.

It would also be safe to say 76,100-seat Sun Life Stadium is likely to feature many empty seats.

So the Panthers will need to generate the energy to win a seventh straight game from within.

Can they do it?

Certainly they can as they will be looking to tie the franchise’s record for consecutive regular-season victories.

Also, for perhaps the first time since the 2008 NFC South Division title run, the entire city and region will be on the proverbial “Panthers’ bandwagon.”

Carolina coach Ron Rivera, roundly criticized after the team’s 1-3 start, talked about how pleased he was with the enthusiasm of fans leading up to and in Monday’s nationally-televised game.

“It was phenomenal. It really was,” Rivera said of the stadium-record 74,225 fans who attended the Panthers’ 110th consecutive sellout. “… The city wants it and we want to give it to them. It was great – the electricity, the energy before the game. Driving here was crazy.

“… That’s what we are working toward – to get that kind of support all the time. I’m so excited for our players. They did a great job. They fought and did a great job. They won the kind of game that a lot of people probably don’t think we can win.

“I think they proved a lot today. We are relevant.”

Given the fickle nature of fans in this region, a win like Monday’s will go a long way toward endearing the Panthers to the frequently skeptical fan base.

It also means Panthers games will again be the hottest ticket in town.

How rare and significant has the winning streak been?

The current winning streak is tied for second-longest in franchise history – and each previous streak came in seasons in which Carolina made the playoffs.